Actor Kim Yun-seok shared specific details about what drew him to the story of the film "White Blast."
Attending the press screening and media conference for the film "White Blast" held on the afternoon of November 12 at CGV Yongsan in Seoul, Kim Yun-seok summarized the project: "You could say this film is a story about the newcomer and the person departing." He added, "It is also a story of the new generation and the older generation. Going further, you could see it as a condensed story of a father and a son."
Stationmaster Jeong Gap-soo of Seolo Station, played by Kim Yun-seok, gets entangled in unexpected events ahead of his retirement. Speaking about the complex inner world of Jeong Gap-soo, Kim said, "I think his final line speaks for everything he feels," adding, "I felt that this isn't just an individual's issue, but could also be an issue concerning the society we are moving toward."
In its opening, "White Blast" shows Jeong Gap-soo's daily routine for about five minutes. Depicting Gap-soo treating Seolo Station like his home, it lays the groundwork for the upcoming incidents and his psychological shifts. Up until the arrival of his successor, Lee Hyun-taek (Koo Kyo-hwan), the movie appears to be a simple crime thriller, but it soon veers off predictable paths to deliver plot twists and character subversions.
Explaining Jeong Gap-soo, Kim Yun-seok said: "To describe Jeong Gap-soo, imagine living in a place on a lease or rent, but your deposit has been entirely eaten up by monthly rent down to zero, and the landlord calls telling you to move out. You have to leave, but you have nowhere to go. What choices would this person make in that state? For someone to whom Seolo Station is everything, a replacement has arrived, and I acted while contemplating how he would feel watching that person treat what he holds precious as trivial. I tried to answer the question, 'What if you've now become a useless person?' through Gap-soo's psychological state. While the characters' actions in the film cannot be justified, I would be grateful if these questions resonate with the audience to some extent."
The original work behind "White Blast" is a play. Kim Yun-seok is a stage-actor-turned-film-star who worked for a long time at the theater company Hakchon. His feature directorial debut, "Another Child," was also based on a play. His eye for scripts and analytical skill, honed through directing and acting in theater, are widely known. At the press conference that day, he helped audiences understand the emotional shifts of the characters—which might not be fully untangled in a single viewing—by explaining them from the dual perspective of an actor and director.
Kim Yun-seok remarked carefully, "Back when I did theater, directors used to say, 'When human beings are on stage, how could it not be interesting?' They said that if it isn't interesting, then the approach itself is flawed and untrue. The idea is that if the diverse facets of humanity are properly conveyed, every story is engaging. The greatest weapon of 'White Blast' is the human element. If the fragile aspects of human nature are properly illuminated, I believe the audience will find it compelling."
"White Blast" is a mystery drama set in a rural train station isolated by heavy snow, where a mysterious dead body is discovered in front of stationmaster Gap-soo (Kim Yun-seok), who is facing retirement, and newly arrived successor Hyun-taek (Koo Kyo-hwan). The film hits theaters on November 18.
(SBS Entertainment News | Kim Ji-hye)